there are
thousands who are no richer than when they began. We had done little
more than keep ourselves when we went to work on Adams's claim. We had
nearly four hundred apiece from him, besides what we made for our
labour, for the horses pretty well kept us; then from the claim six
hundred apiece. We had four thousand each out of the rich strike we
made at the head of the gulch; the bank gave me two thousand more; the
odd money represents the receipts of the rest of my digging and of my
earnings with the mule team."

They started for Europe by the first steamer which left San Francisco
for Panama, and reached home without adventure. The next morning Captain
Bayley took Frank to Mr. Griffith, and told him the story as he had
learned it from Frank.

"There, Griffith," he said triumphantly, when he had finished, "if you
are not ready to admit that you are the most obstinate, pig-headed
fellow that ever lived, I give you up altogether."

"I was wrong, I am glad to see," the lawyer said, smiling, "but I cannot
admit that I was wrong as far as the evidence that was before me went;
but certainly with the light our young friend has thrown upon the matter
I cannot doubt that the view you took was the correct one. Still,
remember there is still no actual proof such as a court of justice would
go upon. Morally we may be convinced, but unless you obtain further
evidence I do not think you are in a position openly to charge Fred
Barkley with stealing that ten-pound note, nor do I see how you are to
set about getting such evidence."

"We are going to try, anyhow," Captain Bayley said. "Frank and I are
going down to Westminster to-morrow to open the investigation again, and
with what we know now it is hard if we don't manage to get something."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXII.

CLEARED AT LAST.

THE following day, after lunch, Captain Bayley and Frank drove round to
Westminster. Football was going on in Dean's Yard, and Frank recognised
among the players many faces that he knew. It seemed strange to him to
think that while he had gone through so much, and had grown from a boy
into a man, that they had changed so little, and had been working away
regularly at the old round of Euripides and Homer, Terence and Virgil.
The carriage stopped at the entrance to Dean's Yard, and, alighting,
they walked across to Mr. Richards'.

Captain Bayley had written a line to the master, asking him if possible
to remain at home, as he w